🖤 💛❤️ National Reconciliation Week 2021 - Week long discussion

[Exoplanet]

reconciliation
1. the restoration of friendly relations.
2. the action of making one view or belief compatible with another.

1. I think it may be difficult to restore something that may never have
existed.
2. I think it may be difficult to make a belief compatible with
another, when beliefs are so solidly embedded that they do not change.

The story of the original people of my area is a strong but sad one as
I imagine it is in all areas - not just in this country, but the world.
The original people here fought valiantly & very intelligently for
17 years. They did not focus on attacking the settlers, instead they
disrupted the supplies, livestock {especially the horses} & the
fences. For over a decade & a half they were very successful, but
eventually a special force was formed & all but 100 of those proud,
intelligent people, were wiped out. Those that were left scattered.
Their language is now extinct & to be a part of their people you
must be descended from 1 of only 4 families.

The name of the little town I live outside of, is in an original
language, but not that of those who lived here. It is from a group
of nomadic people that used to regularly travel through. The
name of my closest town means 'eye' 'to look out', kind of funny
really as my area is very flat; it's believed that the name is referring
to the one pimple on the plum in this area, a unique natural rock
formation, that although not particularly high, due to the flatness
of the area, gives a 360 degree overall view for many miles. It
was a place where many original groups of people would gather
on a regular basis to exchange goods & knowledge.

I think reconciliation between the descendants of the original people
& the descendants of the settlers in this country {& most others,

everyone in this country is a settler if you go by the text books, we

all come from the Ethiopian area of Africa!} is about acknowledging

the atrocity of the past & accepting that it cannot be changed, but the

future can be better.

[Former-Member]

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@Exoplanet wrote:

is about acknowledging

the atrocity of the past & accepting that it cannot be changed, but the

future can be better.

---

@Exoplanet Thank you for sharing what reconciliation means to you. We can all play a part to make the future better  

@eth I agree with you. It is important that we do not repeat historical injustices and oppressions. Rather, we need to listen wholeheartedly, without any assumptions, on what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people need and work beside each other to achieve it. 

[Former-Member]

Tuesday 1/06 

Throughout our colonial history, certain languages and terminologies have been used to discriminate and misrepresent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture.

 I would like to share a Language and Terminology guide by Australian Together that can help to promote respectful conversations and avoid using inappropriate languages. 

Question to all: Have you seen this guide before? What are your thoughts on this document?

[Mazarita]

Hi @Former-Member and all, I feel many non-indigenous Australians may relate strongly to this quote from the weblink:

"...non-Indigenous Australians are often confused by terminology and can be afraid of joining conversations for fear of unintentionally using offensive or inappropriate language."

It's totally understandable that offense may be taken by some indigenous people when non-indigenous Australians purposely or inadvertently use some of the inherited ways of speaking that may be associated with the history of oppression. The link to the language guide is helpful to those of us who wish to learn more about this.

But I imagine that a majority of 'average' non-indigenous Australian people with families, exhausting jobs, mortgages, no time, etc., are unlikely to find or read this language guide. I am guessing there may be very many people of all cultures, who may not even know how to be this self-conscious about language, and may find it threatening to feel they are being told how to speak.

I sense that this may be an obstacle to encouraging the spirit of reconciliation widely across Australia. I'm not talking here about people who are willingly racist, but about non-indigenous people with good in their hearts and in their actions towards their fellow humans, but who have encountered little or none of this kind of language learning and are highly likely to make mistakes.

In honesty, I also observe that every post I have made in this discussion thread has taken a great deal more time than usual to carefully consider my language with each sentence. Making this kind of effort is one small action I can take towards reconciliation. But even after doing this, I feel unease about trying hard and still getting it wrong, or being seen to have the wrong way of perceiving things. 

I raise these thoughts without having answers, just to say some things I truly feel and observe, in answer to @Former-Member question.

[Former-Member]

@Mazarita 
I really value your honest reflection here. 

You are correct, many may not find or read the language guide. I think that is why this year's theme for National Reconciliation Week is highlighting the need for all of us to take action. For me, searching for this guide, reading it, and reflecting on how I can use it in my everyday life has been so valuable.

[Appleblossom]

@Former-Member 

I am looking through the doc you posted. I am fortunate I do have time.  I find that it is still very tricky in life, and in the main my best is maintaining awareness of the issues and a pro indigenous attitude and letting that be known generally.  When I was young I was too submissive to speak up in the presence of racism, I am pretty sure most people who know me would not dare to speak that way around me now.  

@Mazarita Made really important points about distinguishing among different groups of people.  Perhaps actively racist people are vocal in some areas of social media and are loud and a big concern, but many Australians are not like that at all, so it is important not to intensify a kind of reverse racism when people are trying, as that is what seems to perpetuate problems.  

I have always felt closer to indigenous peoples, because of early childhood experiences.  I am glad we are having these conversations, but the deaths in custody issue remains current. It is like the tip of the iceberg of accumulation of social injustices.  I pay respects to those families who have suffered.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/14/australia-act-indigenous-deaths-custody#:~:text=The%20Guardian%27s%20Deaths%20in%20Custody,a%20lack%20of%20prison%20support. 

"The Guardian's Deaths in Custody tracking project reported that since the 1991 Royal Commission, more than 470 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in custody in Australia. Some of these deaths were clearly preventable, from suicide, violence, or a lack of prison support."

I also really resonate and love all the positive aspects of First Nations Cultures which is why I appreicate @ArraDreaming starting the Library thread.

[Former-Member]

@Appleblossom 

Thank you for sharing the news article and highlighting the issue of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. It is a very important issue that needs more attention.

I also acknowledge where you are coming from and understand that there are many different groups of people. Yes you are right, there are people who are racist but there are also those who are trying to understand and do better.  As you have said, the majority are in fact are trying to do the right thing 

As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, reconciliation for me is also about truth-telling. It is about understanding and acknowledging the past and current oppressions and injustices Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face. 

As someone from a minority background myself, I’ve heard and been on the receiving end of a lot of disrespectful languages from strangers as well as those around me (intentionally and unintentionally). While my experience may not be the same as others, I hope that through reading and sharing the language guide, more people (myself included) can understand more about the meanings and historical contexts of certain words and the impact they can have on people.

I also want to say that there is no one size fits all approach on what is the ‘right’ language to use. People hold diverse experiences and opinions on what is appropriate and what isn’t. So, for me, I see and use the document as a guide to how I can do better 

[Former-Member]

Hi all, 
@Schitzo @frog @Sophia1 @StuF @Shaz51 @Judi9877 @Mazarita @TideisTurning @Former-Member @NatureLover @eth @utopia @Olga @Appleblossom @Former-Member @Exoplanet and others who may be following along.

Today is the last day of National Reconciliation Week and is also Mabo Day. 

Mabo Day is a day to celebrate the High Court decision to overturn terra nullius, and recognising Indigenous land rights or Native title of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to Country. I came across this amazing explanation on the history of this important day by ABC, which I would like to share! 

I also want to say that while National Reconciliation Week finishes today, it is important that we continue this work and our commitments to reconciliation beyond this. At SANE, we are committed to working towards and developing a more inclusive and culturally responsive service, where everyone feels safe and supported to use our services. 

Reconciliation Australia also provided 20 recommendations of actions for reconciliation, which we can take to turn awareness into actions 🙌!  

[Former-Member]

Coming here a bit late with some more thoughts! Mainly in relation to the question of what reconciliation means to me, along with a few extra things

I find it interesting to first consider what reconciliation means to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I unfortunately can't find it now, but I recently came across an Instagram post from a First Nations person explaining that, to her, reconciliation isn't something that should be the focus. Since reconciliation is about repairing a relationship after a rupture, she brought up the point that- at a societal level- there has never been an authentic and respectful relationship between settlers and Traditional Custodians. Instead, she believed the focus should be on settlers building an authentic and respectful relationship with Traditional Custodians first.

Content warning: genocide

I realised that was true- settlers' relationship with Traditional Custodians has been one of disposession, racism, and genocide- which is still continuing today with shocking rates of child removals, incarceration, and trauma. To expect First Nations people to want to help repair an ongoing 'relationship' like this doesn't sit well with me. I think the onus is on the majority of us who are settlers to form genuine, respectful relationships with community and listen to what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are saying is needed, and actively helping to make that happen. 

So personally I'm more interested in relationship-building and decolonisation- stopping deaths in custody, stopping child removals from community, protecting Country, and returning land, wealth, power and sovereignty that has been stolen.

I think truth-telling and bearing witness is an essential part of this process, and on that- this looks like a great exhibition worth seeing at the Australian Museum

And related to continual learning (which I'm sure I'll be doing for a long time- there is much to learn) - this was a really good resource I came across about why it can be complicated to know certain Country names and borders. Sometimes I have noticed ambiguity, and this summed up the sad reality of why that can be which I hadn't fully considered before:
"It’s not Aboriginal peoples’ fault that we don’t know these things and it wasn’t the traditional owners’ wish that these things be lost. Hoping that some certainty will emerge now is not really fair for all those people who were told to give up their language, stop practicing ceremony and hide their Aboriginality. If you are doing an Acknowledgement or a document and are not sure what to say, it can be quite effective to acknowledge these facts and to give people an opportunity to reflect on why things are the way they are."